The Recruitment Process: 7 Stages Explained

The recruitment process is the full sequence of steps an employer or agency uses to attract, evaluate, select, and hire someone for an open role. It usually runs from identifying the need at the start to onboarding the new hire at the end. One common way to break it into clear steps is seven stages, which is what this post walks through.

Keep one thing in mind first. The exact number and names of stages vary by source. Models range from roughly 4 to 9 steps. AIHR frames a selection process as seven steps but uses six stages for full-cycle recruiting. SHRM Foundation describes the overall process in four parts, and CIPD frames selecting staff as two core activities, shortlisting and assessment. So seven stages is one common breakdown, not a fixed definition. Use it as a map, not a rulebook.

Why it matters

Knowing the stages helps you see the whole journey instead of reacting task by task. When you understand how each step connects to the next, you spot problems earlier. A vague intake meeting shows up later as weak shortlists. A rushed screen shows up as wasted interview time. Mapping the flow lets you fix the cause, not just the symptom.

It also helps you set expectations on timing and risk. SHRM benchmarking has placed average time to fill in the range of roughly 36 to 44 days, depending on the report, industry, and company size. That gives you a frame for the timeline. The offer stage also carries drop-off risk. A Gartner survey of nearly 3,500 respondents, reported by SHRM in September 2023, found that 50% of candidates who accepted an offer between May 2022 and May 2023 backed out and started with a different employer. Seeing the stages clearly helps you plan for moments like that.

The 7 stages of the recruitment process

Stage 1: Identify the need and run the intake

The process starts when a role needs filling. The hiring manager usually opens a job requisition, an internal document used to get approval for a new or vacant position. It is submitted to a supervisor, HR, or finance for sign-off before active recruiting begins, and it captures the role, headcount justification, and budget. Once approved, the recruiter holds an intake meeting (also called a vacancy or kickoff meeting) with the hiring manager. They gather requirements, separate must-haves from nice-to-haves, and clarify the profile. The clearer the intake, the better the job description and candidate fit, which sets up every stage that follows.

Stage 2: Sourcing

With the role defined, you find candidates. This means posting job ads to attract active applicants and proactively reaching out to people who fit. The recruiter leads this stage. LinkedIn research indicates roughly 70% of the global workforce is passive talent, meaning employed and not actively searching, while about 30% are active job seekers. That 70/30 figure is a rounded characterization, not a precise constant, but it explains why inbound ads alone often miss strong candidates. Sourcing fills the top of your pipeline so the next stage has people to assess.

Stage 3: Screening and shortlisting

Now you narrow the pool. Screening usually starts with a CV or resume review, then a recruiter or phone screen. A 2018 Ladders eye-tracking study, reported by HR Dive, found recruiters spend an average of about 7.4 seconds on an initial resume scan, up from roughly 6 seconds in its 2012 study, with simple layouts and clear headings holding attention better. Treat that as a single, oft-quoted vendor finding with a small recruiter sample, not a universal law. Shortlisting then trims the pool to the most qualified people who will go forward. For an agency, this is where CV formatting and client submission fit. After shortlisting, the agency reformats candidate CVs into a consistent, branded layout, exports them to PDF or DOCX, and submits them to the client, who decides whom to interview. This step sits after screening and before the client interview.

Stage 4: Interview and assessment

Shortlisted candidates are assessed in more depth. This can include interviews, work samples, and structured scorecards. The hiring manager and recruiter are usually both involved. Method choice matters here. In Schmidt and Hunter's 1998 meta-analysis of 85 years of selection research, structured interviews showed an average validity of about .51 for predicting job performance, versus about .38 for unstructured interviews. Combining general mental ability with a structured interview, a work sample, or an integrity test produced some of the highest combined validity, around .63 to .65. CIPD frames selection as two core activities, shortlisting and assessment, which is why assessment follows screening in the staged model.

Stage 5: Selection and checks

After assessment, you decide who the role should go to. The hiring manager owns the open role and makes the final hiring decision, often with input from the recruiter and interview panel. This stage is also where verification work happens before any commitment, so the final choice rests on confirmed information rather than assumptions. A clear decision here, backed by structured interview notes and assessment results, leads directly into the offer. The stronger your evidence from stage four, the easier and more defensible this selection becomes.

Stage 6: Offer and negotiation

You extend the offer and agree on terms. The recruiter usually manages the back-and-forth, with the hiring manager setting the parameters. This stage carries drop-off risk, even after a candidate says yes. A Gartner survey of nearly 3,500 respondents, reported by SHRM in September 2023, found that 50% of candidates who accepted a job offer between May 2022 and May 2023 backed out and started with a different employer. Reneging figures vary widely by source and population, so treat any single number as a directional signal rather than a precise rate. The takeaway is to stay in close contact between acceptance and start date, which leads into the final stage.

Stage 7: Onboarding

The last stage integrates the new hire. It often begins with preboarding, the activities that happen after a candidate accepts but before their official first day, such as paperwork, equipment, and early communication. AIHR's full-cycle model places onboarding as the final stage, covering integration from preboarding through the first day and beyond. The hiring manager onboards the new employee. Strong onboarding is widely associated with better retention and productivity across HR research, though the often-quoted precise percentages trace to vendor and practitioner studies and should be treated with caution rather than as hard benchmarks. This stage closes the loop the requisition opened.

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Common mistakes to avoid

Frequently asked questions

How many stages are in the recruitment process?

It depends on the source. Seven stages is one common breakdown, but models range from roughly 4 to 9 steps. AIHR uses seven for a selection process and six for full-cycle recruiting, SHRM Foundation describes four parts, and CIPD frames selection as two activities. There is no single fixed definition.

Where does CV formatting and client submission fit for an agency?

It sits inside the screening stage, after shortlisting and before the client interview. Once an agency shortlists candidates, it reformats their CVs into a consistent, branded layout, exports them to PDF or DOCX, and submits them to the client. The client then decides whom to interview.

What is a job requisition?

A job requisition is an internal document used to formally open and get approval to fill a position. The hiring manager usually creates it and submits it to a supervisor, HR, or finance for sign-off before active recruiting begins. It captures the role, headcount justification, and budget.

What is the difference between an intake meeting and a requisition?

The requisition gets approval to open the role. The intake meeting, held after approval, is where the recruiter and hiring manager align on the actual profile. They separate must-haves from nice-to-haves so the job description and sourcing fit the real need.

Are structured interviews really better than unstructured ones?

The research supports it. In Schmidt and Hunter's 1998 meta-analysis, structured interviews showed an average validity of about .51 for predicting job performance, versus about .38 for unstructured interviews. Combining a structured interview with a mental ability test or work sample pushed combined validity even higher, around .63 to .65.

How long does the recruitment process take?

It varies by role, industry, and company. As a frame, SHRM benchmarking has placed average time to fill in the range of roughly 36 to 44 days, depending on the report edition, industry, and company size. Time to fill and time to hire are distinct metrics.

The bottom line

The recruitment process works best as a connected chain, not a set of isolated tasks. Each stage feeds the next. A clear intake sharpens sourcing, good screening makes interviews more useful, structured interviews and checks make the offer safer, and solid onboarding makes the hire stick. Seven stages is one way to draw the map, but the names and count shift by source. What matters is knowing where you are in the flow and what the next handoff needs.

For agency recruiters, one step sits quietly inside the screening stage. After you shortlist, you reformat candidate CVs and submit them to the client before any client interview. A clean, consistent submission helps the client review your shortlist faster. RefineCV handles that reformatting step, turning shortlisted CVs into a branded, consistent layout exported to PDF or DOCX, so it fits naturally between shortlisting and the client interview.

Related reading: how to format a candidate CV for client submission and recruitment metrics that matter most.

Sources

• AIHR (Academy to Innovate HR), Full Cycle Recruiting: All You Need To Know (Accessed 2026): AIHR frames the selection process as typically seven stages, while its full-cycle recruiting model uses six stages, confirming the stage count varies by source. Its full-cycle model places onboarding as the final stage, covering integration from preboarding through the first day.
• SHRM Foundation guide / CIPD Selection methods factsheet (Accessed 2026): SHRM Foundation describes the overall recruitment process in four parts, and CIPD describes selecting staff as two main stages (shortlisting and assessment), showing the stage count is a model, not a legal definition.
• AIHR, What Is a Job Requisition? / Hiring Manager: All You Need To Know (Accessed 2026): A job requisition is an internal document used to get approval for a new or vacant position, completed by the hiring manager, who also owns the role, makes the final hiring decision, and onboards the new employee.
• SHRM, Recruiting 101: 5 Tips for Better Communication with Hiring Managers (Accessed 2026): After a requisition is approved, the recruiter holds a vacancy intake meeting with the hiring manager to clarify skills needed, must-haves versus nice-to-haves, and the business goals the role supports.
• LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Active vs. Passive Candidates (Accessed 2026): LinkedIn research indicates roughly 70% of the global workforce is passive talent while about 30% are active job seekers; this is a rounded characterization, not a precise constant.
• Ladders Inc. eye-tracking study, reported by HR Dive (2018-11-08): A 2018 Ladders eye-tracking study found recruiters spend an average of about 7.4 seconds on an initial resume scan, up from roughly 6 seconds in its 2012 study; a single vendor study with a small recruiter sample.
• Schmidt & Hunter (1998), The Validity and Utility of Selection Methods in Personnel Psychology, Psychological Bulletin (1998 (working-paper update 2016)): In Schmidt and Hunter's 1998 meta-analysis, structured interviews showed average validity of about .51 versus about .38 for unstructured interviews, with combined methods reaching around .63 to .65.
• SHRM Talent Acquisition Benchmarking Report / time-to-hire and time-to-fill tools (Accessed 2026): SHRM benchmarking has placed average time to fill in the range of roughly 36 to 44 days depending on the report edition, industry, and company size; time to fill and time to hire are distinct metrics.
• Gartner survey reported by SHRM (2023-09-27): A Gartner survey of nearly 3,500 respondents found that 50% of candidates who accepted a job offer between May 2022 and May 2023 backed out and started with a different employer.
• Giig Hire, industry practitioner guidance on agency CV formatting (2025-10-30): For a recruitment agency, candidate CV formatting and client submission sit between screening/shortlisting and the client interview; agencies reformat CVs into a consistent, branded layout and export to PDF or DOCX before submitting to the client.
• CIPD, Recruitment factsheet and Selection methods factsheet (Accessed 2026): CIPD describes the recruitment process as running from defining the role through to making the appointment, and frames selection as two core activities: shortlisting and assessment.